BY SARAH STEPHENS
ELMORE/AUTAUGA NEWS
The Prattville City Council meeting Tuesday was fairly standard, until closing comments Council members.
Councilor Albert Albert Striplin read the following statement:
“(Last year) By unanimous vote, as a Council, we adopted a resolution to contract with ASU’s Center for Leadership and Public Policy to redraw council district lines. The resolution stated that ASU was capable of supporting all redistricting needs for any county, city, town or board of education in the state of Alabama at a net cost of $5,000. Resolution further stated the Mayor was authorized to enter into an agreement with ASU for leadership and public policy to have the council voting district lines redrawn. Three days later a two-page memorandum of understanding between ASU and City of Prattville was signed by ASU President and Mayor Gillespie and dated Nov.19, 2021.
“Because of Prattville’s concentrated population growth in the last 10 years it is highly probable that redrawing district lines would involve changes in every district. With that in mind, I reviewed ASU’s website. They provided references of work done. From what I could read they offered experienced personnel, prompt and efficient work at a cost I felt was very reasonable. In addition to references, experience and cost, another reason I supported ASU I felt that ASU personnel would be unbiased. That is, ASU personnel would be coming to the table with clean hands, a pure heart and no personal agenda. To my knowledge ASU Public Policy personnel did not actively work in the 2020 City Campaign by recruiting candidates to run against incumbents, nor to my knowledge did ASU Public Policy Personnel serve as advisors or campaign managers for candidates in the City of Prattville Municipal elections. However, there were Prattville citizens that played those roles.
“Friday afternoon, Jan. 21, 2020 a rumor suggested that ASU might not be redrawing Prattville’s district lines because maps had already been redrawn. A telephone call was placed to Mr. Lewis Hines manager of demographic research at ASU. To ensure transparency Mr. Hines was requested to copy each councilor on all communications with the City of Prattville concerning this contracted matter. Later that Friday afternoon all councilors received an email from Mr. Hines, addressed to Mr. Scott Stevens, which outlined information and files he needed and included optional methods that could be used to redraw district lines as well as a proposed follow up with councilors and a reminder for public policy notices prior to adoption. Email also provided two standard redistricting basics that ASU would adhere to. Three days later, Monday afternoon, Jan. 24, another rumor alleged several maps had been drawn and suggested the names of who provided the input.
“When seeking answers to questions, you go to the most knowledgeable source. Therefore, Mayor, after the MOU was signed with ASU did you, Lisa Byrd and Keith Kuzma meet individually or collectively to provide information that would directly or indirectly influence one or more council districts? If you desire to answer at a later date that is fine. Mr. President, with respect to the email dated Jan. 21 from Mr. Lewis Hines sent to Mr. Stevens and copied to all councilors, Mr. Hines asked for Council guidance as to which approach the Council desired to use in redrawing the district lines. On behalf of the Council, Mr. President, have you addressed Mr. Hines’ request?”
Council President Jerry Starnes replied, “No, I have not. And it was addressed, I believe, to all councilors. So, everybody was addressed in that email.”
Striplin replied, “In that case, I am offering one option for consideration. And that would be to invite Mr. Hines to a future council meeting giving him adequate time to make a presentation and allow council follow up questions. Subsequently a resolution confirming the council’s request could be drawn and adopted all in a public meeting. Mr. President, this concludes my comments. Thank you.”
Mayor Gillespie walked to the podium and responded, “I don’t think that this is the appropriate time for this. If there is a challenge with something like this, I think there ought to be a work session brought together so that way there can be some open discussion and commentary. And some of these real personal attacks are really not called for. You are challenging the integrity of Alabama State? It is just amazing that you would pick this time. You have so many other things that you really ought to be doing.as a chairman of wastewater. We have over 200 homes that need some assistance. We have gone through a legislative act. Staff has been working on that for probably six years or so. And you decide to pull this stunt. That shows a lot of character.”
In his final comments, President Starnes ddressed Striplin’s comments. “I don’t know if that was an accusation or a question?” Striplin responded it was a question.
Starnes continued, “So if you want a work session, I don’t care. We had a finance committee meeting and we discussed about ASU. And I said I would prefer ASU just do it, make a presentation to us, so it would be pure. No influence on any councilor or anyone in this administration. With that being said, if you want a work session before hand I don’t think that is a pure, unbiased opinion from ASU when we have influence. If you have concerns about your district, or any other district, we will bring it forward.”
Striplin responded, “No sir, Mr. Hines requested the council give him guidance to do the project. There is more than one way to do it and he was asking us which way we want it done. In order for clarification I was suggesting he come speak to us so that we can determine which direction we want him to go.”
Starnes responded, “That is not unbiased. If you want to draw the lines, then draw the lines. I don’t care.”
Striplin responded, “I am not asking that, and no, I don’t.”
Starnes responded, “Then we will do a workshop. We watched what the county commissioners did, and they had a lot of influence and it was chaos. So, I said let’s have a pure ASU make that determination of the lines. So, we will have a work session just for your recommendation Mr. Striplin.”
Striplin responded, “It is not totally my recommendation. I am saying that Mr. Hines asked for guidance.”
Starnes replied, “And you were addressed, too, weren’t you? Did you respond to that email?”
Striplin replied, “No.”
Once again, Mayor Gillespie walked to the podium.
“We have so many great things going on, and to have some of this going on…it is a sad moment. Mr. Striplin you and I have been here really the longest and I remember the last time the lines were drawn. We didn’t have two quarters to rub together. We had to have internal staff, we had to have our city planner at that time to draw them. And I have seen a lot of flaws in that. We used to have some natural boundary lines, neighborhoods were more connected and a part of districts.
“For some of the accusations you are trying to make, I am ashamed for you. Just because someone might want to say ‘Hey, here is what we experienced the last time we went through when we used internal staff.’ And to use a common logical pathway for these different districts to keep the neighborhoods together. Holly Ridge, how many districts go through Holly Ridge? Three. That is not very logical to me. Gin Shop Hill, the road was basically a dividing line for different districts. Now some of district 7 is just a few streets, and the vast majority is over in District 1. There was some mistakes that logic should have taken over. For it to come up and be brought up here like this like someone is trying to make some backroom deals when all we are really trying to find is the best product. I thought that by recommending Alabama State it would be the best resource for this.
“We could have used the State of Alabama. So instead of going through all of this, maybe we ought to pick back up that agreement, go back to page one. I think it is item 4 that talks about termination. Obviously, you feel like there is no credibility to Alabama State or the elected bodies up here.”
Striplin responded, “No sir, I never said that. I said that is the reason I supported them was because of their credibility.”
Gillespie responded, “And this body should be going off of facts and not rumors and innuendos. And that is what you are trying to base all of this off of. You ought to be ashamed. I know I am ashamed for you to be my district representative.”
With that, the meeting ended. The next regular council meeting will be held Feb. 15 at 6 p.m.
